Sliva striding for Pure Gold Part 3

Third of an eight-part series.

Dancehall artiste Sliva spent six years at Irwin High School, some 10 minutes ride from Granville community, St. James. Those six years (2011-2017) were fruitful ones in terms of his academic achievements. But as to soccer, there was nothing to boast about.

“My first day at Irwin High was one of orientation, which included meeting new teachers. My mom was there with me and I was happy to have her.”

“I recall being placed in Campbell-Brown house named after Veronica Campbell-Brown the Olympian. And I wanted to make her proud in many ways.”

“My uniform was a lavender bush jacket, khaki pants, and the school’s crest. The environment fascinated me a lot. It was my second school and I anticipated changes.”

“The school’s ground was much larger than my previous school and there were a lot more activities like clubs, while technology was at our fingertips.”

“Soccer training began as early as the first week of October and I was selected for the under-14 team. This came as no surprise. I could play football well, and any coach would have been impressed with my passion for the game.’

“Irwin High training was more rigorous than that at Catherine Hall Primary. The coach had me playing center midfield which gave me the opportunity to make quick decisions as to who gets my passes.”

“Football is certainly not a one man’s game. It has to do with unity and cohesion hence one got to put aside selfishness.”

“My most challenging part was keeping up with schoolwork. Sometimes I was so tired that I couldn’t do or finish my homework.”

“Although the coach tried to prepare us for the competitions ahead, it was hard for us to beat seasoned schools, like Cornwall College and St. James High. They were more seasoned in both under-14 and DaCosta Cup competitions. Our team never beat our competitors and this made me more determined to do my best.”

Music was still a part of Sliva’s heart and soul and he never tried to suppress it.

“I remember hearing about a sponsored competition that asked competitors for a short video promoting Montego Bay Jerkfest. I entered, won the competition, and got the chance to perform at the event. This was in 2017. It was a glorious moment as I got good response. This landed me at a homemade studio where I began to do some recording. It was a friend of mine who introduced me to the studio owner. His first name is Kemar alias “Chippy”.

I recorded a song called “March Pon Dem”. This was on youtube and many students began to recognize me as an artiste who has potential. Teachers were aware that they had their own artiste and I began performing at several concerts, including functions.”

Sliva’s father, Ewan aka Razor B, realising his son’s potential, also invited him to the studio where he had been recording his songs.

“Dad even called me on stage at one of his performances. The day after he increased my lunch money because he saw success coming my way.”

Sliva also credited Dexta Peppa, a selector who took him to many parties where he performed for patrons. He also recorded a number of songs at Sean Coombs studio. These included “Feel like This,” “Gone Away” and “Fully Loaded.”

He graduated from Irwin High with six solid subjects. These include English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Integrated Science.

Be sure to read part four: Sliva at Cornwall College.​

(Photo courtesy of Deejay Sliva)